Bittersweet Return
by Sei Shonagon
Summary: a sasusakunaru fic.
1. Chapter One

AN: Thank you very much for taking a fraction of your time to read my fic!  
  
Disclaimer: Naruto is NOT mine....  
  
OOOO  
  
Bittersweet Return Chapter One  
  
It was a perfect morning at Konoha Village, the sun was up and the clusters of white puffy clouds roll by as birds happily chirp in their nests and tree trunks.  
  
Naruto woke up with high spirits that day since a perfect morning means a perfect day for training. He got up from bed and started off to the bathroom to get himself ready for the day ahead. He looks at his reflection at the mirror, ruffles his hair and mutters; "It's going to be a nice day today..."  
  
Naruto was already walking out from his house to get some breakfast at his favorite ramen shop when he suddenly noticed a familiar figure walking towards him. It was a guy with black hair and very thick eyebrows; he was sporting a green outfit with orange socks and bandages on his arms.  
  
It was Rock Lee, he was grinning a little from what Naruto could see in his position. But when Naruto took a good look again Lee was looking serious. Lee stops in front of Naruto and greets, "Hey there Naruto!"  
  
Naruto looks at Lee in disbelief; he has never talked to Lee ever since they passed the Jounin test and that was about three years ago. Ever since the test, they have been very busy with certain missions and the other stuff that they never even got the chance to talk.  
  
So it was a real surprise to Naruto when Lee approached him. Lee smiles in response to Naruto's look and says, "So...you see Naruto...I was just wondering if the rumors about you and...you know---"  
  
"Sakura...right?" Naruto cut him off. Lee looked affronted with what Naruto did and nodded in response. Naruto sighed and said, "Yeah...yeah we did..." Lee smiled a little but quickly changed it into a sad one when he saw that Naruto was looking at him.  
  
Lee was about to say something to break the brief silence but Naruto cut him off again, "Would you mind if I go now? I...I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten breakfast yet." Lee answered back, "Yeah, sure. Go ahead..."  
  
Naruto quickly walked away from Lee. He wasn't really at the right mood to talk about his relationship with Sakura at that time. Reliving the day when Sakura broke up with him wasn't what Naruto had in mind. He was working so hard to forget it so talking about it with someone, moreover Lee, could be really devastating.  
  
Meanwhile, at the village's local cemetery, Sakura was standing in front of two gravestones with traces of pure sadness and frustration in her face.  
  
She was carrying a branch of full-bloomed cherry blossoms in her right hand. "Hello mother...father...." Sakura whispered, "It's been a while...." She forces a very weak smile in her face and looks up. She closes her eyes and feels the morning breeze graze her face.  
  
Sakura returns her gaze to the gravestones of her parents, feeling the wind blowing off her hair and the cherry blossom petals.  
  
She sighs and talks to the stones in front of her, "I have a branch of your favorite flower, mom... I got it from the Sakura Tree you and father planted at our backyard when I was little...I saw it this morning and thought that maybe, you wanted to see it... It's really pretty"  
  
Tears start to form in Sakura's eyes; she gulps up some of her courage and wipes her tears away. "Well, it's already late in the morning...And Ino- chan asked me to help her with some house work...I'll leave this branch here...so that...so that you could look at it all you want...Bye then." said Sakura.  
  
Outside the village, a man with raven hair and eyes was standing with a bag suspended at his back. He steps inside with traces of uncertainty in his movements. He looks around and lugs his bag higher, smiles a weak smile and continues to walk into the village.  
  
As he saunters on into the village, he glances around the houses, shops and people around him. Some of the village people notices the man who was walking and starts pointing at him and whispering, "...isn't that the missing nin?" asked one of the girls looking straight at the man.  
  
"Yes! I know who he is...He's the Uchiha!" answered the girl beside her.  
  
"Uchiha Sasuke?! Where?!"  
  
"Over there! The man standing in the middle of the street!"  
  
"Omg! It IS him!" shouts the girl in the middle of the talking girls. The girls start to giggle and talk about Sasuke and as to how handsomer he is now.  
  
Sasuke, on the other hand, is oblivious to all this, he was still looking around; wandering through the village he used to live in. As he walks past a certain shop that sells flowers, a woman with blonde hair notices him and looks wide-eyed. The woman stands up and runs off to the streets to confirm of whom she thought he is.  
  
At that same moment Sakura was already on her way to Ino's shop and was humming happily. Suddenly, Sakura stops dead on her tracks, she stares at the person in front of her. She gasps and puts her hand over her mouth.  
  
"Sasuke...kun..." Sakura stutters in shock.  
  
OOOO  
  
AN: Was it good? Or bad? I'm really sorry about this chapter because I'm not that good at writing introductions. I suck at it!  
Please review! Thanks again for reading my fic...I really appreciate it!  
This is my first fic so please take it easy...on me.. O.o; 


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Sorry I didn't update sooner! School is really holding me up....  
  
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.  
  
Bittersweet Return Chapter Two  
  
The afternoon wind was really refreshing after a long and hard day at training. Sasuke was sitting on a tree branch and was looking at the leaves above him. It's been one week since I came here and nothing seemed to change.  
  
I 'm still sitting on the same tree, looking at the same scenery, wandering off into nothingness.  
  
But back when I was here eight years ago, sitting on to this very tree, I was thinking of someone...someone that took away my happiness...who was stronger than me...who tricked me into thinking that he loved us...someone that made me go into this revenge driven life.  
  
Sasuke leans back at the tree trunk. "...Itachi," Sasuke mutters under his breath with sheer loathing in his tone.  
  
I could still remember that night...The wind was really chilly and freezing. Autumn was coming to an end and winter was getting nearer. I was at our garden, playing with fishes in the pond, feeding them, poking them with a stick.  
  
My parents were talking at the main room of the house that night about the mission they were about to take on. And my brother...my brother was in his room doing something only he knows...Everyone else was doing their own usual businesses.  
  
No one even knew, not even my parents or me that the night would be their last... I could still remember their screams...their pleas and struggles. I remember running towards the house, looking at the dead bodies of my relatives.  
  
At a young age, all I could do was to run and cry...That was all I did when I saw them be killed by my brother with my own two eyes. He left me alive that night, and that was his mistake, his very big mistake.  
  
He should have killed me when he had the chance, a chance that slipped away from him when I took his life with my own two hands. Just like what he did to our clan. I never regretted that day and I would never forget it as well.  
  
But before he left this world, he asked me a question, that has bothered me ever since, 'what will you do now...Sasuke?' Those words echoed through me everyday and every night.  
  
I never knew that my brother's last words would make a very big impact on me. What will I do now, now that I have done the sole purpose of my life. I thought of going back to Konoha, but I had no one else to go back to there nor was there anything to come back to. So I decided to travel and find my fortune someplace else.  
  
Yet that question remained within me for four years, and I have spent those four years traveling, trying to answer the question. I've met all kinds of people and I have been to almost every place in the world. I thought I have already answered the question, but it still didn't feel like it. I felt like I was doing nothing.  
  
I also wanted to build a new memory, a memory that would replace my past. Yet running away from my past wasn't something that helped me solve my dilemmas. Memories about Konoha kept on haunting me through dreams. The more I wanted to remove and replace them, the more they came and haunted me.  
  
So I decided to return to Konoha and face my past, hoping that I would be able to finally answer the question that has haunted me for years. And also hoping to find the peace of mind I have been searching for.  
  
As I came into the village, I noticed that it still looked the same, unchanged. The same houses stood to where they used to four years ago and so were the shops. Yet, the people were no longer familiar to me. Four years has definitely changed Konoha's people.  
  
It has been a week and I still don't have a clue to the answer I am looking for. I still feel like I am doing nothing to replace what I thought to be my sole purpose in life. However, I still feel that I would be able to find it here. This village has a different atmosphere; different from any other village I have been through. This village has given all the answers I wanted back when I was a child. And I know that I will find my answers here...  
  
AN: I know it's a short one...But please review! I really need your comments, suggestions and criticism. School is really giving me a very tight schedule so forgive me by not updating soon enough! Thanks! Oh! And next chapter's Sakura's turn in the POV! 


	3. Chapter Three

AN: Allo minna! Erm...I know I wrote in the last chappie that I would write a Sakura POV...Well, I rewrote the whole chapter and changed it into a third-person type. GOMEN!! I thought it would be better if I write it as a third-person.   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...  
  
Bittersweet Return Chapter Three  
  
It was a sunny yet windy day and Sakura with Ino has just finished reporting about their last mission. They were doing their typical strolls in the park and Ino was blabbering to Sakura the funny incident that happened to Chouji when he was trying to help with Ino in the shop.  
  
"...so he was persisting on to reach the vase, but unfortunately his hands were too stubby and short to reach the vase and..." Ino stops and looks at Sakura. She sighs, "Sakura-chan?" Sakura doesn't respond and is still looking far away. "Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan?" Ino calls out again.  
  
Sakura looks at Ino and says, "Yes? Were you saying something Ino-chan?" "See?! You're not even listening to me!" Ino whines. Sakura looks at her and Ino raises her eyebrow. "Aah...Gomen!" Sakura apologizes with one hand in front of her.  
  
"It's alright Sakura-chan, but what have you been thinking these past few days? You don't even seem to pay attention to whatever I say." Ino points out to her friend. Sakura stares at her blankly, "I was listening to you..." Ino raises an eyebrow again, "Oh really? Then why does my all trusty instinct tell me that you don't even know a single thing that I was talking about?"  
  
Sakura looks at Ino and smiles at her. "Ha! I knew it! You weren't listening to me...You were thinking about Sasuke-kun all these times weren't you?" Ino blurted out. Sakura nods in reply and puts out a weak smile.  
  
Ino smiles and looks at the sky, "You should talk to him you know...Tell him how you feel, instead of walking around the park all day thinking. It's dangerous walking around with something in your mind, you mind hit yourself on a pole or maybe even a tree!"  
  
Sakura looks at Ino with concern on her face, "Ino-chan, but you like him too don't you?" Ino smiles scornfully at Sakura and replies, "Sakura, it was just a petty little crush I had on him when I was young. And now...well I am older now and my feelings for him...are gone." Ino says unconvincingly followed by a smile with traces of uncertainty in it.  
  
"But you don't look---" Sakura tried to reason out but Ino cut her off, "Oh come on Sakura-chan! Do I look like the kind of person that lies to her best friend?" Sakura smiles and shakes her head. "Besides," Ino continues, "Sasuke-kun doesn't even seem to be interested in me..."  
  
"But, he seems to be interested in you, Sakura-chan." Ino says. Sakura sighs and whispers, "I wish he really does." Ino smiles and says cheerfully, "Of course he will Sakura-chan! What kind of guy wouldn't notice a beautiful and intelligent girl like you?!" Sakura looks at Ino and says, "Thanks Ino-chan, Thanks..." They both sigh and look at the horizon in silence.  
  
Sakura stands up and says, "Well I have to go, I promised Naruto-kun to help him with a new technique he's practicing." Ino looks at Sakura, "Wait a sec did I hear that right? Are you still going out with Naruto?"  
  
"No, we've broken up, remember? Besides I'm just helping him with a technique..." Sakura reasons out. "Well...Isn't that what heartbroken ex- boyfriends do? Set up some kind of plan to get their ex-girlfriends back?" Ino answers. Sakura laughs and replies, "Ino-chan, you should get to know Naruto-kun more, he isn't the type of guy who would do that."  
  
"Whatever you say, I still can't believe you went out with him for almost a year!" Ino blurts out. "Naruto-kun is a really nice guy, honestly." Sakura said in a matter-of-factly voice. "I better get going then; see you tomorrow, Ino-chan!" Sakura smiles and leaves Ino in the park. "Good luck with Sasuke-kun!" Ino, calls out. Sakura shouts and looks behind her, "Thanks!" Ino stares at Sakura's back and sighs deeply.  
  
Ino bites her lip and whispers, "Hn, good luck with Sasuke-kun..." She closes her eyes and tears start to fall from it. "Ino, you fool. Why did you say those things to Sakura? Who were you kidding? You know you still like Sasuke-kun..." She tries to wipe her tears from her eyes but tears were still running down on her cheeks. She sighs and turns around to go to the flower shop with pure sadness and guilt on her face.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura is walking along the road to Naruto's house when she spots Sasuke sitting on a tree. She smiles and calls Sasuke, "Good afternoon! Sasuke-kun." Sasuke, who seemed to be in deep thought, was suddenly brought back to Earth when Sakura called out to him. He blinks twice and looks down to Sakura, then goes down to face her. "What do you want?" He replies with his typical cold voice.  
  
"Still hasn't changed haven't we Sasuke-kun?" Sakura teasingly responded. "Hn." Sasuke grumbled. Sakura looks at him fondly, "You know what Sasuke- kun, I can't help but notice that there is something that changed on you. Although I cannot guess what, I just feel like you're different from the Sasuke-kun that left years ago after passing the chuunin exams."  
  
Sasuke looks at Sakura in surprise. "So...what have you been thinking up there? On that tree...You seem to sit there and do the same thing every time you come back here in Konoha." Sakura helplessly continued on with her attempt on starting up a conversation with Sasuke. "None of your business," Sasuke retorts in annoyance.  
  
Sakura looks taken aback by this but not surprised, she just answers with her usual sweet smiles and decided to finish the conversation since Naruto is waiting for her and there is no point in trying to open up Sasuke like this.  
  
"Sasuke-kun, try opening yourself up on people a bit, because keeping it all to yourself will only make the thing seem worse. And that seeking advice and help to someone who cares for you wouldn't hurt. And I'm not telling that, that person is me. All I'm saying is that why not try talking to someone else besides that tree and yourself, in that way you would be able to handle the situation more easily and find a different kind of perspective on how to handle it."  
  
Silence followed Sakura's little speech. She sighs and waves goodbye to Sasuke, "Well...I hope I helped you a little with your problem... I have to go now... See you then..." Sakura turns around to leave.  
  
Sasuke, who was still thinking about what Sakura just told him, did not even bother to answer Sakura. 'Maybe she's right... Maybe I should open up a bit... But who could help me find the answer I have been looking for...' Sasuke looks at Sakura's back. 'Maybe she'd be able to help me...Yes...Maybe Sakura COULD help me.' He looks up in front of him and calls out to Sakura before she could even disappear farther.  
  
"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted to get her attention. Sakura turns around to Sasuke in a confused and surprised look. Sasuke in turn walks to her and looks surprised himself that he called Sakura. "Ano...What is it Sasuke- kun?" Sakura inquires.  
  
"Sa...Sakura, I was just wondering about what you said lately. And I was thinking that maybe you could come with me and have a little talk..." Sasuke asks Sakura with difficulty. Sakura smiles in surprise to what she just hear Sasuke say to her and nods as an answer.  
  
"This isn't a date..." Sasuke quickly clarifies in case Sakura thought so. "Of course it isn't," Sakura replies a little too cheerfully. Sasuke stands there in silence and Sakura looks at him blankly, "Aren't you going to tell me what time it is?"  
  
"Oh...Yeah, right...Afternoon, tomorrow" Sasuke replies. Sakura grins, "Great! See you tomorrow then!" Sasuke nods in reply and walks back to the tree. Sakura stares at Sasuke's back for a short while then turns around to leave.  
  
Just when everything seemed perfect for that day, a bloodcurdling scream was heard all throughout Konoha. The scream was at the direction to where Naruto's house was; Sakura suddenly remembered her appointment with Naruto.  
  
She hastened her pace by using her chakra and jumping from roof to roof. Mumbling the same thing over and over again, "Oh! Please let that not be what I think it is! Please let that not be what I think it is! Naruto- kun...Gomenasai...Gomena."  
  
She finally reaches the place where the scream was heard; she sees that almost everyone in Konoha was there. Lee, Ino, Neji, Chouji, Tenten, Kiba, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, and even their teachers were there, so was Sasuke who seemed to have just arrived was asking Iruka-sensei what happened. But Naruto wasn't there...Where is he?  
  
Sakura frantically searches the crowd hoping to see a blonde man, looking through the crowd, but Naruto couldn't be found. Ino walks towards Sakura and asks, "You heard it too didn't you?" Sakura nods in response but was barely paying attention to Ino she was still looking for Naruto. "Sakura, you look pale...what's wrong with you?" Ino asks with pure concern.  
  
But before Sakura could even answer, another scream was heard in the middle of the village. Everyone quickly reacted to the scream and ran towards the direction of the scream and was horrified by what they saw next.  
  
AN: Aah...Ano...I was planning on making a cliffhanger and here it is (although I don't think I made a good cliffhanger). Thanks for the reviews! I can't promise what'll happen next chapter since I'm not even that good at keeping it. So until then...ciao! 


	4. Chapter Four

AN: Thanks for reading my fic! Thanks for the reviews! Thanks y'all! I'm also sorry for posting late...Projects, assignments and other school activities/requirements were mounting up so high and fast, I was so confused as to what to do next! And playing ragnarok is also one of the factors that is holding me up right now...hehehhehe; GOMEN!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...  
  
Bittersweet Return Chapter Four  
  
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" A woman was screaming a few steps away from a man who was trying to fend off the rampaging jounin from his daughter. "Someone please help him! I beg of you!" The woman was going desperate and was clutching on to anyone she could see.  
  
Sakura and the other jounins were also transfixed upon the assailant. It was Naruto, but he was different. He wasn't wearing his typical silly grins nor were his deep-blue eyes twinkling. Instead he had these cat-like eyes that were depicting so much anger and was casting fear amongst anyone who would look at it. He looked like a hybrid of a fox and a human.  
  
Everyone was so horrified by what they were seeing that no one was able to move and help the helpless man in the middle of the street. Suddenly, Sakura felt something fast that went past her, which went straight to the berserk kyuubi. It was Hyuuga Neji, one of the strongest jounins of Konoha.  
  
Neji quickly drew out his kunai from his pouch and threw it to the direction of Naruto's head. He used it not to kill the guy but only to remove Naruto's attention from the man to him. Naruto senses the kunai and grabs it with his bare hands. He tightens his grip on the kunai and looks for the person who distracted him.  
  
Naruto sees Neji and goes straight for him, Neji on the other hand have already activated his byakugan and was about to finish a hand seal when Naruto was already in front of him within a split second. "What the..." Naruto slices Neji's chest with the kunai he threw earlier. Neji falls on the ground and blood starts to flow out from the deep wound Naruto have just given him.  
  
Neji was already passed out but Naruto looked at him with pure loathing and kicked him to the direction of Tenten who was shivering madly and crying. Tenten quickly went to Neji's aid and used her own chakra to try and stop the bleeding. Not far from Tenten was an enraged Rock Lee. He was shaking with pure anger to Naruto who just so happened tried to kill one of his companions.  
  
Lee was about to get revenge for his fallen friend when Tenten suddenly stopped him, "Lee don't!" Lee looked at Tenten in shock, 'Why would she want him to stop taking revenge for their friend?' "Lee, we have to take Neji to the hospital! He'll die if we don't. Let the others take care of Naruto! Right now the most important thing is to help Neji live!" Tenten managed to say through all her tears.  
  
Lee looked at Neji and nodded, 'she is right. Neji needs to live, we have to help him.' Lee takes Neji's body and quickly goes off to the direction of the hospital with Tenten behind them. But no one even noticed Lee with Neji and Tenten leave they were all transfixed upon Sasuke, Kiba, Shino and Shikamaru who were all putting up a good fight against Naruto.  
  
They have put a strategy to attack at the same time. At first Shikamaru used his classical and effective Kagemane no Jutsu on Naruto. It was successful and Naruto have stopped moving, giving the other three a chance to attack him.  
  
Nevertheless Naruto was far more powerful than them and was able to break the Kagemane no Jutsu within minutes after their combo attacks. The kyuubi assault the four mercilessly without any trace of aggravation from the jutsus the four were throwing at him. Everyone was watching in terror as Naruto slash his opponents one by one.  
  
Shino was the first to fall on the ground followed by Akamaru and Kiba who were also heavily wounded. Shikamaru and Sasuke were already tired and have almost used up all their chakra trying to restrain Naruto. But Naruto was still standing even through all the cuts and bruises that he has.  
  
Shikamaru was gathering all the chakra he has left and was trying to perform the Kagemane no Jutsu again so that Sasuke could also use up his remaining chakra into subduing Naruto. The jutsu was successful and this time Naruto wasn't able to move for a longer time which gave Sasuke the time to gather his remaining chakra and hit Naruto hard on the back of his neck.  
  
But the odds were really against them since Sasuke's blow wasn't hard enough to knock Naruto out. Instead, the blow made Naruto angrier which cased him to break the jutsu faster. He quickly gave Shikamaru a hard blow on the stomach, which made Shikamaru cough up loads of blood and fall.  
  
Sasuke watched all this through all the exhaustion and pain. He fell on the round but was still conscious, and with all the strength he could muster, he tried to get up and face Naruto. But the wounds and cuts that he got were so painful that he could barely move and see what was going on. All he knew was that he needed to get up.  
  
Not far from Sakura was a shivering Hinata, she was horrified by what she was seeing. 'That isn't Naruto...No it can't be...I mean how could he be like that?' Hinata was convincing herself hopelessly that the man in front of her wasn't the same guy she had always loved with all her heart. "Naru- kun..." Hinata whispers weakly as she watches Naruto hack and slash Kiba and the others.  
  
Tears were starting to make a path down Hinata's cheeks, as the scenes get more and more gruesome. She closes her eyes hoping to remove the scene from her sight but the more she tries to remove it the more vivid it seems to look like. 'Someone must stop him...Stop Naruto-kun from hurting his own friends...I must stop him from the pain he is causing himself and others. I must stop him!'  
  
With tears rolling down her face she runs toward the direction where Naruto is currently assaulting Sasuke. Sakura sees this and calls out Hinata's name, trying to discourage her but to no avail. Hinata goes between Sasuke and Naruto, shaking and very pale. "Naruto kun! Please don't do this! Stop hurting yourself!" Hinata was shakily shouting to Naruto.  
  
But Naruto gave no notice to this and harshly pushed Hinata aside making her slam into a wall and cough up blood. He turns to Sasuke and kicks him hard on the stomach, which practically sends him flying of to the nearest tree. Ino looks at Sasuke wide eyed with worry. She hurriedly ran to Sasuke's aide and unknowingly became a target for Naruto's assaults.  
  
Sakura got paler upon seeing this; she decided that she couldn't take anymore of Naruto's misbehavior. It was enough that he'd go berserk and destroyed town properties, but hurting her friends was another. She ran towards the direction of Ino and Sasuke and spread her arms wide like a shield for the two.  
  
Sasuke and Ino stared at Sakura wide eyed with shock, Sakura was risking her life for them. Sasuke tried to stop Sakura from what she was doing but he could barely say anything from the lack of energy that he has and Ino was shielding him with her body too.  
  
Naruto was about to strike them when he saw a flash of pink and green in front of him. Sakura closed her eyes in fright with what Naruto would do to her. He froze to his spot, his hand hanging in the air staring at the girl in front of him.  
  
Rain started falling on his arm but he was still not moving it. While Sakura had opened her eyes to look as to why Naruto hadn't hit her yet. She looks eye to eye with Naruto, she was breathing heavily like she had just run a thousand miles.  
  
Naruto's hand fell down to his side and his body started changing back into the Naruto he used to be. Witnessing as to what happened Naruto, Sakura lowers her arms and smiles happily. Tears were starting to fall from her eyes again. Naruto looks at Sakura with a tired expression on his face, smiles and then collapses in Sakura's arms.  
  
Sakura, with Naruto in her arms, fell to her knees and embraced Naruto crying tears of joy. "Finally...It's over..."  
  
AN: I am not good at writing fight scenes and I also wrote this chappie in a great hurry. But don't worry! I'll try to rewrite this chap and add the following chapters sooner! 


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